Kids Archive

What my kids are like, and how to raise your child/children in this day and age.

5 Ways To Boost Your Child’s Immune System

Have you ever wondered why kids are more susceptible to infection and diseases during the rainy season? Uso ang sakit no? But why? During this season, the body’s immune system is working overtime. How our boy works is a complex science but it is not too complex to observe how kids are more sick during this season. Knowing these 5 Ways To Boost Your Child’s Immune System can help your kids fight off diseases that are more common during rainy season.

5 Ways To Boost Your Child’s Immune System

1. Eat healthy food. There is no question on how healthy food can help boost the immune system, the question is, what healthy food to serve to Boost Your Child’s Immune System?

Here are 15 Foods That Boost the Immune System and one of those is Yogurt. Fruits such as Papaya and kiwi is a good immune system booster and those are well received by kids. Also serve your kids with meat and seafood in moderations.

Citrus is of course a well known source of Vitamin C which is thought to increase the production of white blood cells. Vitamin C is thought to increase the production of white blood cells. Serve your kids at least 2 slices of oranges every meal. You can also give them vitamin C supplements

Avoid giving junk food and sweets to your kids during this season. Make suer that their stomach is healthy to digest this food. Give them probiotics.

2. Drink lots of water. Increase fluid intake, specially water. Try lemon water from time to time (although not recommended for kids below 2) Lemon is a good source of Vitamin C too. Water + Lemon is like hitting two birds in one stone.

How to encourage kids to drink more water? Give them a small water bottle (around 200-300 ml) and fill it with water. Every hour, ask the kid to finish that bottle. Imagine, in a span of 10 hours, the kid would be able to drink 2 L.

Avoid giving colored drinks to your kids specially artificial fruit juices.

3. Exercise and Breathe outside. Encourage your kids to exercise or be active physically for at least 30 minutes a day.

5 Ways To Boost Your Child’s Immune System

Teach them how to breathe (inhale through nose and exhale out of mouth) and do breathing exercise at least 5-10 minutes daily. It is best to do this near a plant.

4. Adequate sleep (sleep at least 8 hours a day)

Sleep is still one of the best armor against diseases. Boost your kids immune system by making sure that they have enough sleep everyday.

How to encourage your kids to sleep early?

Eat early dinner. We usually eat around 6 PM.
No gadgets after dinner.
Change them into comfortable clothing.
Provide them a conducive place for sleep (clean and well ventilated room)

5. Practice good personal hygiene. Motivate and encourage your kids to practice good personal hygiene.

Here are the basic personal hygiene habits that you should teach to your kids:

Take a bath daily (twice if sweaty).
Brush teeth every after meal.
Brush hair and trim nails.
Change to clean clothes every after bath.
Wash hands always. Wash hands after going to the bathroom. Wash hands before and after handling food.

These 5 immune system boosters are more effective if you as a parents is also doing/practicing it. Our kids’ immune system needs boosting and ours as well. Taking care of our kids also means taking care of our body.

Japanese Encephalitis 5 Facts For Parents

Japanese Encephalitis 5 Facts For Parents. I have been reading about Japanese Encephalitis, specially the shortage of the Japanese Encaphalitis vaccine. I must admit, prior to my kids’ vaccination, I have no knowledge of JE. We were lucky that during our pedia visit, our pedia has Japanese Encephalitis vaccines. The cost of Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine from our pedia is 2500 Pesos.

Three of our kids got the vaccines while the other 2 must wait until their fever is gone. The pedia advised a week rest before the vaccine.

I am sharing with you some facts I have learned during our pedia visit and some of my readings about the deadly Japanese Encephalitis and how you can prevent your child from getting it.

Japanese Encephalitis 5 Facts For Parents

1. What is Japanese Encephalitis?

Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain and most common is viral infection. Japanese Encephalitis is a type of brain inflammation caused by the Japanese Encephalitis virus which is carried by mosquitoes.

The JE virus is found in pigs and birds. The virus is passed on to mosquitoes if they bite an infected animal.

Why is Japanese Encephalitis called Japanese Encephalitis? The first case of this kind of encephalitis was documented in Japan (1871).

2. Who are at risk of Japanese Encephalitis?

Everyone is at risk of Japanese Encephalitis but cases on kids below 15 years old are more frequent.

People who are living in rural areas or near a piggery or near rice fields are more prone to JE since these are the areas where the mosquitoes will most likely get the virus.

3. Is Japanese Encephalitis contagious? Nakakahawa ba ang Japanese Encephalitis?

Japanese Encephalitis can’t be spread from person to person.

4. How to prevent Japanese Encephalitis?

Since the spread of JE virus is through mosquitoes, one of the best ways to prevent it is to prevent mosquito bites by doing the following:

Use mosquito repellant, specially for kids.
Clean your surroundings and discard any stagnant water since this is where mosquitoes breed.
Wear long clothes, specially pajamas and light colored ones!
Take a bath daily, specially when you are sweaty. Mosquitoes loves our sweat!
Avoid drinking beer, or if you must, wear insect repellant. There’s a study about how Alcohol ingestion stimulates mosquito attraction.

Japanese Encephalitis vaccine

The most effective to prevent JE is through vaccination. Japanese Encephalitis vaccine is available to prevent JE. The Philippine government is now working to include JE vaccine on the list of mandated vaccines for kids.

Currently out of stock in most clinics but heard that new stocks of Japanese Encephalitis vaccine will be out on 2nd week of September.

How much is Japanese Encephalitis vaccine? The price ranges from 2500-4000 (depends on the pedia).

The vaccine comes in 2 doses, administered with a year in between. Price is per dose.

5. Who should have the Japanese Encephalitis vaccine?

Japanese Encephalitis virus can affect all people. Everyone should get a vaccine but give priority to your kids.

How serious is Japanese Encephalitis? Why is there a panic on Japanese Encephalitis? And why is Japanese Encephalitis vaccine always out of stock?

How serious is Japanese Encephalitis? 1 in every 250 who got infected with JE virus develop into more serious infection. And 1 in every 3 people who got more serious infection will die, 1 may fully recover but will take time and 1 is left with permanent brain damage. (source)

Why is there a panic on Japanese Encephalitis? Because there are already 9 cases of death due to JE virus. Read more about the report here> DOH: 9 die of Japanese encephalitis

Why is Japanese Encephalitis vaccine always out of stock? Currently, JE virus is not included in the mandated list of vaccines, so production of the said vaccine is limited. Hopefully, the government will act fast and there will be more stocks available not just for private patients but for health centers as well.

Scott’s DHA Gummies Review

My kids have been using Scott’s Vitamins C Pastilles for years now. My kids love Mixed Berries flavor pero not that much the orange flavor. A bottle of 50 pastilles is around 200 PhP and since my kids consumes 6 pastilles a day, basically we buy 4 bottles a month. 6 Pastilles because 1 for Sofi, 1 for Chico and 2 pastilles each for our older boys. Pero dapat pala 2 pastilles each kids, so dapat 5 bottles a month. I have high hopes for the Mango flavor but sadly my kids did not like it. Scott’s DHA Gummies Review

Scott’s DHA Gummies Review

Scott’s DHA Gummies Review is based on initial test of the product. For the effectivity of Scott’s DHA Gummies as memory enhancer for the kids, well, we have to wait and see.

Scott’s DHA Gummies, aside from DHA, also contains Vitamin D. It contains 30% RENI vitamin D, which essential for healthy growth and development of bones of the kids.

Scott’s DHA Gummies has 2 flavors: Strawberry and Orange. Judging from my kids’ reaction to Scott’s Pastille’s, akala ko magugustuhan nila yung strawberry flavor. They prefer the orange flavor. Kahit ako, I like the orange flavor. Para syang yung orangey na candy. Ano ba tawag dun?

Masarap sya even though it has DHA. Akala ko noong una medyo malansa yung lasa nya because DHA comes from sea creatures.

Scott’s DHA Gummies Price here in the Philippines are as follows:

Scott’s DHA Gummies in 3s- P24.00
Scott’s DHA Gummies in 15s- P117.50
Scotts DHA Gummies in 60’s P433.00 (pictured above)

Malaki ang kinamahal nya sa Scott’s Pastilles no but considering na it’s for the brain development, sulit na din.

Because DHA comes from fatty fish and shellfish (seafood) each gummies are shaped as such. There’s crab, octopus and fish.

Scott’s DHA Gummies Age and Dosage:

Scott’s DHA Gummies is for kids ages 5 and up. Recommended Scott’s DHA Gummies dosage is 3 gummies a day. Just 3 gummies a day of NEW Scott’s DHA Gummies provides 40mg of DHA or 15% of your child’s daily DHA+EPA requirement set by WHO and FAO.

3 Gummies a day x 4 kids x 30 days= 360 gummies a month. We need 6 bottles a month, almost 2600 per month! Ay, the price you have to pay para mas maging matalino mga bata!

Scott’s DHA Gummies halal certified by JAKIM (Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia)

Where to buy Scott’s DHA Gummies? Available at Mercury Drugstore, Watsons and leading supermarkets. For list of stores where Scott’s DHA Gummies is available, please check Scott’s Philippines Facebook Page.

P.S.

Kung balak mo karerin ang Scott’s family, eto ang breakdown ng gastos mo:

Scott’s DHA Gummies (3x a day)- 90 gummies a month: P650 (kung sa price na 433 per 60 gummies)
Scott’s Pastilles (2x a day)- 60 pastilles a month: P240 Pesos (since 50 pastilles is 200 Pesos, divide divide na lang mga inay)
Scott’s Emulsion (5ml a day)- 150 ml per month: P300 ++ (since a 200 ml emulsion is around 400+ Pesos)*

TOTAL: P1190 per month per kid.

*pag 12 years old na anak mo magiging times 2 ang dosage ng emulsion.